Stave joint



`20 lpocketed water.

Patented July 28, 1936 -rr raies S'I'AVE JOINT Christopher J. Haley, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Claims.

invention relates to astavejoint, such as is .found influmes, which are open trough-like conveyors-for huids (usually water) in various sorts Y vof pipes, con-duits and culverts, which are closed 5 conveyors for liquids and which are usually more or less cylindrical in section; in tanks or like vessels, generally used for holding liquids such as water without pressure other than static head; and in s ilos and the like. Y

YIt isan object of the invention to provide a ,joint` which shall protect the butt ends of the staves in a manner more effective than any heretofore known against the destructive action of the weather, the main agents of destruction being the decay occasioned by dampness, augmented by drying Aand consequentchecking or warping which 7facilitates Vfurther ,entry of moisture, and also assisted in cold climates by the freezing of such rnoistural particularly in cases where it occurs as Even a mere` lm of moisture Vis suicient to hasten decay when repeatedly absorbed and expelledK by atmospheric changes.

gAbsorbe-,dV moisture Valso causes swelling, `followed by shrinking as the moisture is expelled, and this .25 `swelling and shrinking renders many eiorts futile which have been'made to protect butt joints by Vmeans of devices formed to envelop the butts of staves. Such devices have generally been made of iron, and this is undesirable for the reason that thewood disintegrates rapidly whenin contact with iron and then exposed to d arnp atmosphere.

A further object ofmyinvention, therefore', is to provide a stave joint in which the connecting means is eiiectively protected against the eiects of damp atmosphere.

Another object of my invention is to provide a joint in which there is provided means to prevent leakage of the contained liquid, combined with "means to protect the leak-preventing means against the internal pressure of the contained liquid.

Another object of the invention is to prevent seam leaks adjacent the abutting ends of staves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure that shall be effective in holding in place packing which excludes external moisture. Staves used in making flumes or pipes are commonly about twenty feet in length, whereas the flumes or pipes vary in length from a few hundred feet to many thousand feet. Builders of such Vstructures aim to have the butts of the staves in contact at the abutting ends, but it is impracticable to do this precisely, for the reason that they must follow the contour of rivers, hillsides, grades,

etc. Hence the butt joints are frequently and unavoidably as far apart as one-eighth of an inch, so that water enters and rots the wood, besides freezing in localities where freezing occursfall of which causes speedy deterioration at the joints ,2., although the intermediate portions of the staves 5 Y may be entirely sound after the joints have be- Yas the tongue is exposed to the internal pressure this pressure has a disastrous effect on thefbutt e joints as soon as the'wood exterior to the joint 15 becomes unsound.

. Referring to the drawing, which is made a part hereof, and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveof a pipe in whichmy device is or may be used, illustrating the relative positions of joints, i M

Fig. 2, a transverse'section of a joint, onan enlarged scale, ,2;

Fig. 3, a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2', and. f 25 Fig. 4, a similar View, showing a modied form.

In thedrawing, reference character I0 indicates the staves of a pipe `having joints ll variously spaced along the same or.broken as is usual in the art. The adjacent ends of the staves 30 are separated by the websl2 of connectors having tongues l 3, preferably but not necessarily straight as shown in Fig. 2; i, e., forming chords of an arc of a circle concentric with the arc of the outer surface of the stave if the same is formed in the 35 usual manner with a rounded or arcuate outer surface, as in Fig. 2. I'hese tongues extend into correspondingly shaped recesses in the ends of adjacent staves and preferably fit closely therein. At their ends the tongues extend beyond the side 40 faces of the staves, which faces are commonly radial as shown in Fig. 2, and into the wood of the staves parallel to those connected by the tongues, so as to seal the seams between parallel staves adjacent to the butt joints and thus to prevent 45 seam leaks at these points, whereby liquid might be forced into the joints beyond the tongues I3 due to the internal pressure. It may be noted that the webs may have openings as at I4, to decrease their weight, if desired. 50

An internal flange l5, extending to both sides of the web l2, serves to seal the joint and to pre-Y vent the internal pressure from acting on the tongues I3. Preferably this ange ts closely against the interior of the flume or pipe or other 55 that numerous changes may be made inthe destructure, as is feasible for the reason that the interior surfaces are usually fairly accurately shaped and, of course, these surfaces are not exposed to changes of shape due to alternate wetness and dryness, or at least they are very little exposed to such changes. VAs shown in Fig.. .2, these anges preferably extend over the seams between parallel staves so as to protect the seams from internal pressure adjacent the butt joints.

They are also preferably beveled as indicated at.

I5 so as to permit any solid bodies that may pass along the flume, etc., to pass by readily.

The space radially outward from the web I2 is filled with packing II, in the preferred form of the invention, which packing may consist of pitch, oakum, wool lead, etc., or of a plastic suitable for the purpose of repelling moisture against entrybetween the ends ofthe staves. In other forms of butt joint connections with which I am familiar it is impracticable to Vcalk the open ends, there being no uniformity in the openings,

'many of which Aare too small to permit effective calking, yet being open suiciently to admit moisture and so to institute the wetting `andA drying process hereinbefore referred to, with consequentV bad effects. To insure 4the packing against accidental-removal VI preferably provide what I call an"anchorage groove at I 8 in the end of each of the abutting staves, whereby the pack ing is anchored in place. This groove is preferably parallel to the recess for the tongue I3 for convenience of construction, though it might be otherwise shaped. Y

In rthe modified form of the invention Shown ,in Fig. 4' all the parts of the joint maybe as previously described, except that the flanges I6',

I6 are vof uniform thickness to their outer edges and are embedded in undercut portions of the respective staves. Y Y

It will be obviousvto those skilled in the art vice of my invention al1 without departing from the spirit andrintent of the same, and therefore Ido not limit myself to whatV is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated inthe appended claims. It will be obvious also that 'the packing yor calking arrangement herein disclosed may be used with other forms of connecting means, if only there isY Va substantially tight joint at theinsideof the pipe or other device and a circumferentially extending slot at the outside. It will be obvious also that, while straight tongues I3 and straight trans- 12,049,`371 Y Y 'Y verse slots across the endsof Ythe staves to receive such tongues will usually be preferred, it is within the scope of my Vinvention to make the Vslots and the corresponding tongues of other forms; e. g., concentric with theV pipe, or on curves not concentric therewith, etc.

Having thusfully described my said invention, what I claim is: Y Y Y 1. In a stave joint, a pair ofV staves having abutting ends, a web separating the endsY of said staves, tongues on said web entering grooves rec mote fronr'the inner and outer faces of said staves, said tongues extending beyond the side packing in theajoint beyond said web, and means for anchoring said packing in place.V

3. In a stave joint, a pair of alined staves spaced apart at their outer sides toprovide an outwardly widthwise of their spaced-apart faces, Vand packing in said slot, the packing extending into said recesses to anchor the packing'in the slot.

4. In a stave joint, a pair of stavesY having abutting ends, arbutt -joint therefor comprising a web between theends of said staves, said YwebY outer faces of the staves so as to leave-a Vslot between them, tonguesV on said web entering grooves or recesses remote from the inner and outer faces of the staves, and packingin said slot. n Y c 5. Means for joining the adjacent ends of staves, compri-sing a web adapted to bepositioned between said ends, flangesy atV one edge of said web adapted to extend over the inner walls of Vsaid staves, and tongues atfthe opposite edge of VsaidV web adapted to enter recesses in the ends Vof said stavesA remote from the inner and outer walls Y of the staves, whereby space to receive packing j Vmaterial is left betweenV the ends'of'said staves beyond said web.V

CHRIS.'roPHiizR J. HALEY. r

`terminating at a substantial Vdistance from the Y Vopening slot, said staves having recesses extending V30' 

